Gate construction.



W. H. ANSTED. GATE CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED PEB- 1, 1908- 20 v 3 SHEETS-$18121 1. "2 ,39 Z. n

WITES: J Q a INVE TOR finsf'ed W. H. ANSTED.

GATE CONSTRUCTION.

ul LxoATlon FILED FEB. 1, 1908.

901 ,865. Patented Oct. 20; 1908.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

[AWE/Wok I v '1 I THE NORRIS PETERs :0, WASHINGTON, a. c,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. ANSTED, OF DUNDEE, MICHIGAN.

GATE CONSTRUCTION.

To all whom it mag concern:

Be it known that I, WVILLIAM H. ANsTnD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dundee, in the county of Monroe and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gate Construction; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in gate construction and my object is to provide means for forming parts of the strands of a line fence into a gate.

A further object is to provide means for hinging the strands forming the gate, where by the gate may be swung from side to side.

A further object is to provide means for i'iormally holding the strands forming the gate taut and a still further object is to provide means for securing the gate in its closed position.

Other objects and advantages will be hereinafter referred to and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings which are made a part of this application, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a section of fence showing my improved form of gate construction in its closed position. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one end of the gate. Fig. 3 is a detail elevation of a portion of a gate, showing the manner of locking the same in its closed position. Fig. 1 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale, as seen on line 1-4t, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a perspective View partly in section, showing a slightly modified form of means for hinging the strands forming the gate. Fig. 6 is an elevation of a section of fence, showing a slightly modified form of gate construct-ion. Fig. 7 is an elevation partly in section of that form of brace bar used in connection with the gate shown in Fig. 1. 8 is a side elevation partly in section of a slightly modified form of brace bar. Fig. 9 is a detail elevation showing a still different form of latch for securing the gate to the post, and, Figs. 10 and 11 are perspective views of the two portions of the hinge employed for pivotally mounting the form of gate shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the upper end of that form of gate and locking mechanism shown in Fig. 9. Fig. 13 is a view in side elevation of a gate structure embodying a slightly modified Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 1, 1908.

Patented Oct. 20, 1908.

Serial No. 413,920.

form of brace bar, and, Fig. 14 is a view in elevation illustrating a further modified gate structure.

Referring to the drawings in which similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, 1 indicates the line wires of a fence, which are secured in any preferred manner to posts 2 and in order to form a gate in the line of fence, the line wires are omitted between two of the posts 3 and 4. and in place thereof, I employ wires 5 for forming a gate, said wires being secured at one end to clevises 6, which clevises are in turn pivotally secured to anchoring eyes 8 by means of a rod 9, while the opposite ends of said wires 5 are secured to a bar 10.

The clevises 6 are formed from a single section of wire and have eyes 1.1 at one end thereof, the anchoring eyes 8 extending between the eyes 11, so that when the rod 9 is introduced through the eyes in the clevis and the anchoring eye, the wires will be pivotally secured to the post 3, the anchoring eyes 8 being likewise formed of a single section of wire and the free ends thereof introduced through openings 12 in the post 3, the parallel portions 13 of the anchoring eyes being of sufiicient length to extend through the post and be bent at right angles to the parallel portions to secure the anchoring eyes to the post.

In order to secure the gate, formed by the wires 5, in its closed position, plates 14 are secured to the bar 10 and preferably at its longitudinal center, said plates being secured to the bar by introducing a bolt 15 through the bar and through alining openings 16 in the plates and by providing the plates with a plurality of the openings 16, said plates may be adjusted on the bar to increase or decrease the tension of the wires 5.

The plates 14 are of suflicient length to extend beyond one face of the bar 10 and have pivotally mounted therein, a locking latch 17, that portion of the latch between the plates 14, being substantially U-shaped and the connecting-bar 18 of the U-shaped section being curved inwardly, said U-shaped portion of the latch being so arranged, that when the arms 20 of the latch are in their lowered position, the U-shaped portion will be substantially in a horizontal position and will pass over the hook 19 on the post 4, but, when the arms 20 of the latch are moved to their upward position, the bar will engage the hook and lock the gate in its closed position. The bar 10 is further secured to the post 4 by means of a hook 21, which engages with an eye 22 on the post.

The latch 17 is so constructed that when it is engaged with the hook on the post and the arms 20 thereof are lowered, the bar 10 will be elevated a suflicient distanceto release the hook 21 from the eye 22 but will be lowered to engage the hook with the eye when the arms are elevated, thereby firmly securing the bar to the post 4 and the latch is normally held in position to pass over the hook 19 by the ends of the arms 20 which when lowered engage a cross bar 23 at the lower end of the bar 10, said cross bar being extended to each side of the bar 10 to form a rest and hold the bar 2 in a vertical position when the gate is open.

The wires 5 are normally held in a horizontal plane and kept substantially taut by means of a brace bar 24, which extends from the rod 9 to the bar 10, one end of said brace bar being provided with a socket 25, in which is loosely held the threaded end of an adjusting bolt 26, the outer end of said bolt having pivotally secured thereto, a clip 27, which is adapted to engage the rod 9, while the opposite end of the brace bar is provided with a pin 28, which engages a socket 29 in the bar 10, the brace bar being adjusted longitudinally by means of a nut 30, which nut is adapted to turn on the threaded portion of the bolt 26 and engage the end of the bar 24.

In order to quickly adjust the brace bar 24, so as to increase the tension of the wires 5, said brace bar is preferably made in two sections secured together by means of a hinge 31 and when the bar is to be adjusted, the two sections thereof are moved upwardly at their hinged ends, as best shown in dotted lines in Fig. 7, when the adjusting nut 30 is turned on the bolt 26 to the proper position, after which the sections of the brace bar are lowered, thereby drawing the wires 5 taut, but, if desired, the brace bar may be formed in a single section, as best shown in Figs. 6 and 8, the tension of the wire in said construction being increased or decreased by operating the nut 30 on the bolt 26 and, in the construction shown in Fig; 8, the clip 27 may be dispensed with and an eye 32 formed on the end of the bolt 26.

The bar 24 is preferably disposed at an angle and the angle of said brace may be readily changed by moving that end of the brace bar having the bolt 26, upwardly or downwardly on the rod 9.

Instead of ointing the brace rod as shown in Fig. 7, the end of the brace rod adjacent the latch end of the gate may be pivotally secured to a lever 24 at a point above the lower end of said lever, while the lower end of the lever is pivotally secured to a clip 25 on the bar 10, whereby when the lever 24 is thrown to a vertical position, the tension of the wires 5 will be released when the lever is moved downwardly as shown in full lines in Fig. 13, the wires 5 will be drawn taut and the outer end of thegate held against sagging, the lever 24 being held in its lowered position by moving the free end thereof slightly below the axial plane of the brace bar 24, the downward movement of the lever being limited by a stop 24 carried by the brace bar 24. By employing this form of brace bar, the parts of the brace bar may be readily and quickly operated to release the tension of the wires forming the gate, while at the same time the short end of the lever will prevent the gate from sagging a sufficient distance to engage the ground as the gate is being swung open.

In Fig. 14 of the drawings is disclosed a structure similar to the structure disclosed in Fig. 13, except that an auxiliary spring 34 is employed, one end of said spring being secured to one of the strands of wire 5, while the opposite end. thereof is secured to the upper end of the post 3. The tension of this spring is such as to prevent the gate from sagging when the lever 24 has been elevated.

In Fig. 5 of the drawings I have shown a slightly modified means for anchoring the pivoted ends of the wires 5, in which con struction the clevises 6 and anchoring eyes 8 are dispensed with and the wires 1 are extended through the openings 12 in the post 3 and have secured to their ends, rings 33, to which the ends of the wires 5 are secured.

Instead of employing the locking latch 17, I have provided a different form of latch as shown in Figs. 9 and 12 and in this instance, a rod 35 is employed, the upper and lower ends of which are bent inwardly and downwardly to form substantially L-shaped terminals 36, the downwardly extending portions of said terminals extending through eyes 37 carried by the bar 1.0.

Instead of using the hook 19, bolts 38 are introduced through the post 4 and are provided with bifurcated ends 39 to receive the rod 35 and as the terminals 36 are pivoted in the eyes 37, the bar is held rigid when the gate is in its closed position, by pivotally mounting a clevis 40 at the upper end of the bar 10, the closed end of said clevis having a loop 41 formed therein, which is adapted to engage the horizontal portion of the upper terminal 36 or extend downwardly along each side thereof, thereby holding the rod 35 rigid in the bifurcated ends 39 and preventing the gates from swinging open.

\Vhenever it is desired to open the gate, the clevis 40 is moved upwardly and out of engagement with the terminal36, when by moving the gate laterally, the rod 35 will swing out of engagement with the bifurcated ends and permit the gate to readily swing open and as soon as the gate is closed and the rod seated in the bifurcated ends, the clevis is again lowered and the gate held in its closed position.

lVhat I claim is:

l. A gate of the class described, comprising the combination with posts and line wires secured to said posts; of a plurality of independent wires between two of said posts, means to pivotally secure said Wires to one of the posts, a bar at the opposite ends of said wires, plates adjustably secured to said bar and adapted to extend beyond the outer edge of the bar, a latch pivotally mounted in the extended ends of the plates, that portion of the latch, between the plates, having a curved connecting bar and a hook on the post adjacent said bar, with which the curved connecting bar is adapted to cooperate to secure the gate in its closed position, said latch being adapted to raise and then lower the bar when the latch is operated to secure the gate.

2. In a gate construction of the class de scribed, the combination with a pair of posts; of wires interposed between said posts, anchoring eyes carried by one of said posts, clevises having eyes therein adapted to cooperate with the anchoring eyes, said clevises being carried by said wires, a rod extending through'the eyes in the clevises and through the anchoring eyes, a bar at the opposite ends of said wires, a brace rod adj ustably and hingedly secured between said rod and bar, a plate adjustably secured to each face of the bar and adapted to extend beyond one edge thereof, a latch pivoted in the extended ends of said plates, that portion of the latch between the plates being substantially U-shaped and having a curved connecting bar, arms for said latch, a cross bar adapted to limit the swinging movement of said arms and a hook on one of said posts, with which the latch is adapted to engage when said arms are swung upwardly and additional means to secure the bar to the post.

3. In a gate of the class described, the

combination with a pair of posts; of a gate between said posts, said gate being formed of strands of wire, anchoring eyes secured to one of said posts, clevises secured to said wires and having eyes adapted to cooperate with the anchoring eyes, a rod extending through said anchoring eyes, and the eyes of the clevises, a bar at the opposite ends of said wires, means to secure said bar to its adjacent post, a brace bar between said rod and bar on the wires, said bar being formed in two sections, pivotal means to secure said sections together, means to removably secure one end of the brace bar to the bar on the wires, a clip on said rod and means between said clip and end of the brace bar to adjust said brace bar longitudinally.

4t. In a gate construction of the class described, the combination with a pair of posts; of a gate, the body of said gate being preferably formed of strands of wire, means to pivotally secure one end of said wires to one of the posts, a bar at the opposite ends of said wires, parallel plates adjustably secured to said bar and adapted to extend beyond one edge thereof, a latch pivotally secured to the extended ends of said plates, that portion of the latch between the plates being substantially U-shaped and having a curved connecting bar, arms on said latch, a cross bar adapted to limit the swinging movement of said arms in one direction, a hook on the post, adjacent said bar, adapted to be engaged by the curved connecting bar, whereby, when the arms are moved from their lower to. their upper position, the latch will be engaged with said hook and the gate held in its closed position, a hook on said bar and an eye on the post adapted to receive said hook.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WVILLIAM H; ANSTED.

WVitnesses ARTHUR M. KoPKA, JACOB F. HIsnR. 

